The Mediterranean World (1961)

[Music] We know our spinning earth to be a sphere overlaid with seas and continents. But ancient men knew only of the Mediterranean regions. Greek geographers of 500 BC thought the Earth was a flat disc, its land surrounding a central sea called the Mediterranean, which meant enclosed by land. To early men, it was truly a Mediterranean [Music] world. In this favorable environment, high mountain ranges screamed the region from northern Europe's severe winters, and the northern shores were deeply indented with large bays and many sheltering islands. Small ships could safely sail these protected waters, and this sea became a means of cultural contact, aiding the growth of early civilizations around its shores. Thus, the Mediterranean Sea was the center of the ancient world. The southern shores were less hospitable with few harbors and many desert areas. The valley of the Nile was a fortunate exception. This river's annual flood waters left rich soils with almost constant daily sunlight here was an ideal environment for agriculture and therefore the founding of Egyptian civilization. [Music] Irrigation was early developed [Music] here. In time, Egyptians created an alphabetic form of writing based on pictures and used papyrus plant fibers to make paper. Egyptians were among the first to refine metals for tools, weapons, and ornaments. The golden burial mask of King Tut Ank Amen reveals the superb skills of these ancient craftsmen. The powerful pharaohs, the ancient kings, left impressive monuments to mark their reigns. Their colossal pyramid tombs, although erected 5,000 years ago, are among the largest stone structures ever built. Ancient drawings show that the first Nile boats were bundles of buoyant papyrus reeds. As larger boats of wood were developed, the traditional reed bundle shape was retained. These first seagoing ships carried Egyptian commerce and culture to other Mediterranean lands. The inspiration of Egypt affected a second great civilization, the Menowans on the island of Cree. In the splendid palace at Nasus, built about 1500 BC, the courtyards and graceful columns suggest the influence of Egyptian architecture. In Menowan warehouses, huge earnware jars stored grains and olive oil for a city of thousands. Their theaters, tears of seats, formed a pattern for Greek and Roman theaters of later times. In many forms, Menowan art surpassed Egyptian. Paintings showed greater realism, and pottery and golden jewelry were decorated with taste and skill. About 1,000 BC, the Phoenician civilization flourished. On the slopes of their mountains was the most important source of timber in the dry and often barren eastern lands. Today, few trees remain of the cedars of Lebanon. The rest were cut to build ships and roof temples in ancient times. In Biblo, Phoenicia's principal seapport, paper, fabrics, and finely rock metals were produced. These vats boiled the famous Tyrion purple dye. But Phoenicia's greatest contribution was a simplified alphabet from which our present writing was developed. From such tiny harbors as these, Phoenician traders carried Eastern crafts and knowledge throughout the Mediterranean and to the shores of Northern Europe. During this time, another civilization was rising. It was that of the Greeks. They built upon the preceding cultures, adding many new [Music] concepts. The theater was enlarged and improved as drama, dance, and oratory became vastly refined. Greek buildings were a great artistic advance over those of Cree and Egypt. Crowning the Acropolis in Athens was the beautiful Parthonon, one of man's most perfectly proportioned buildings. 23 centuries ago, this marble temple was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Behind bronze doors stood her statue with clothing of gold and skin of ivory. Masterpiece of the sculptor Fidius. The ancient Greeks, excelling in the arts, mathematics, medicine, and sciences, also introduced democratic principles in government. These ideas spread throughout the Mediterranean world and were carried eastward by the conquests of Alexander the Great. In time, the center of power again moved westward to Rome. The culture of Rome derived from the Greeks. Romans were master builders, warriors, and governors. The ruins of their capital city are reflected in their works throughout the Mediterranean lands. For 2,000 years ago, Roman ships and conquering legions journeyed to the limits of the Mediterranean world and beyond to spread Roman laws, speech, skills, and religion. In Spain stands an ancient aqueduct built by the Roman conquerors. In Algeria, a triumphal arch amid an outpost's ruins. And in Lebanon, a vast temple once dedicated to Bakus. In Asia Minor are the ruins of Ephesus, one of Rome's greatest subject cities. And in Greece, a Bzantin church contains mosaics which reveal how the Roman world ultimately accepted Christianity. In its 1,000 years of rule, Rome reached far beyond the Mediterranean lands. When the empire crumbled, the region was left in a confused and disorganized political state, the Middle Ages. In 622 AD, from Arabia came Muhammad. He founded Islam, the religion of the Muslims, which quickly encircled the southern and eastern shores. Through centuries of warfare, Christians regained only a portion of the lost lands, leaving this present division of Christian and Muslim [Music] peoples. In the Middle Ages, the Muslims became the world leaders in sciences, mathematics, and literature. Great mosques and universities were built in Cairo when the power and culture of Arabic Islam was far higher than that of northern Mediterranean shores. The Muslim influence was widespread. In Spain, the graceful courtyard of a Muslim palace, a blue tiled mosque in distant Persia, or tall minoretses in Turkey reflect the vitality of Muhammad's teachings. In Europe, contacts with Eastern civilizations spurred the revival of learning in the Renaissance period. It began in Italy about 600 years ago, where artists and architects recalled the styles of ancient Greeks and Romans. Sciences flourished after centuries of decline. This intellectual upsurge of superior agricultural environment and the availability of better natural resources now enabled the northern shores to develop swiftly, surpassing southern and eastern lands to create modern European civilization. In this same period, Muslim lands advanced little for their culture was hampered by firmly rooted feudalism and ancient institutions. Because of their great differences in backgrounds and environments, the Mediterranean peoples of today have widely dissimilar ways of life. On the southern shores, North Africa is generally fertile. A moderate rainfall allows crops of fruits and grains, gives pasture for grazing, and supports a farm life changed from the days when the Muslim Arabs occupied the land. Many farm products move to coastal cities for shipment to Europe. Today, the foods and minerals of North Africa are especially important to the people of France. They colonized these shores over 100 years ago, and many North African cities have a European character from the French settlers. Yet, in almost every such city is a cosba, a crowded native quarter where devout Muslims resist changes to their culture by European contacts. Although France once governed North Africa, Morocco and Tunisia have recently gained independence. Algeria is also working out the problems of self-government. In the desert regions farther east, life is far more difficult. The waters of tiny oases are carefully spread by ancient irrigating channels to raise grains, fruits, or dates. Where precious water cannot be spared to grow trees for building lumber, most houses are made of sundried mud bricks, and camels and donkeys are still a principal means of transportation. Although on the desert coast, Egypt is especially fortunate in having the Nile River. The Nile carries Egypt's commerce in river boats like those of thousands of years ago. Beside the tombs of ancient pharaohs, precious Nile waters are spread over the land by irrigation canals dating from ancient times. Waters raised by hand operated screw lifts or simple water wheels. This thirsty land, when well watered, is among the most productive on Earth. Yet most of Egypt's farmers work with the same methods as their distant ancestors and live in villages which have changed little in the past 50 centuries. However, today changes are beginning to appear. Mud huts are sometimes replaced by brick houses in modern farm settlements. Irrigating canals are being improved and dams built to control the flow of water. Occasionally, modern pumps supply overhead irrigating sprays. And camels are replaced by tractors to cultivate a palm grove. A promising step toward modernization has been the founding of a steel industry or from the Nile Valley is processed in a modern plant which will aid industry and manufacturing in tomorrow's Egypt. Cairo is Egypt's capital and greatest city with over 2 million persons. The old quarter is a labyrinth of narrow streets and colorful bazaars where the continued activity of ancient mosques and universities show that Cairo remains a center of Muslim culture. But Cairo is also a modern city which compares with many major European capitals. Along the Nile, where galleys of the pharaohs once passed, luxurious apartments and hotels now stand. Beyond them, the pyramids remind us of the many generations who have lived here, contributing their learning to build our present civilization. The northern shores have a far different life. Greece and its many isles in the Aian Sea was once heavily forested and agriculturally productive, but much of the land has been stripped of trees and top soil through thousands of years of cutting timber for fuel, intensive farming, and overg grazing. In the south, only crops requiring little water and much sunlight, like olives or currants, can be grown successfully. Northern valleys with more rainfall produce grains and fruit. These fields of Macedonia will grow tobacco, Greece's principal export crop. The nation's principal harbor at Pyreus exports agricultural goods and imports food and raw materials, but is no longer the center of Mediterranean commerce as in past ages. Since Greece lacks important mineral resources, her industry is severely handicapped. Among the modern buildings of the capital city of Athens are the carefully preserved ruins of the ancient Greeks, reminders that this city produced some of the leading artists and thinkers of the ancient world. But the changing needs of man have enabled other nations to excel in modern times. Among all Mediterranean lands, Italy is the most favored by nature and the most populous. The northern mountain ranges of the Alps shelter the flat rich farms of the Pole Valley. However, even this wide land cannot feed Italy's 50 million people. In the more mountainous south, many steep hillsides are terrace to permit cultivation. In this difficult environment, even the most skilled and industrious farmer has difficulty achieving prosperity. Although farm machines are available, such equipment is very expensive and difficult to use on a large and efficient scale. Yet, Italy is the most highly industrialized of Mediterranean countries. Although most fuel and ore must be imported, a growing steel industry supplies a large number of manufacturers. Since the time of ancient Rome, Italians have dominated Mediterranean ship building. Italy's factories are as modern as any in the world, and well-made products from autos and typewriters to complex electronic equipment prove that Italians are among the world's most skilled and ingenious workmen. Italy enjoys a great industrial advantage in having adequate water. Her mountain chains create thousands of waterfalls. Their energy harnessed by hydroelect electric plants produces power to supply industry and transportation. Today, electric railways run beside old Roman aqueducts. The locomotives are powered by the same streams that once filled those ancient conduits. In Naples, beside a castle of the Middle Ages, are the docks of one of Italy's several important harbors. These seapports receive some of Italy's needed raw materials and ship many of her manufactured products throughout the world. Rome is the northern Mediterranean's largest and most modern capital, a city of worldwide commercial importance. Although Italy's resources are limited, determined effort and ingenuity give many Italians an advanced standard of living. Many Roman families enjoy homes in comfortable residential districts or attractive apartments beside the Tyber River. From fashionable sidewalk cafes like these on the Vvento, one sees the blending of 2500 years of northern Mediterranean life. Traffic of today passes the marble columns of the Victory Emanuel monument, a 20th century war memorial, circles the Colosseum, an amphitheater of 20 centuries ago, and approaches the ancient triumphal arch of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Highly revered is the great Basilica of St. Peter's. Over 400 years old, it is the world's largest church, a Renaissance masterpiece of art and architecture, and a center of Christianity. Such monuments have caused Rome to be called the eternal city. The Mediterranean has three vital gateways which provide access by ship to other seas. The Dardinels and Boserus cut through Turkey, placing part of that nation in Europe and part in Asia. On the Bosperus over 1600 years ago, the Romans established the capital of their eastern empire, Constantinople. In 1453, it was captured by the Turks and later renamed Istanbul. Istanbul is Turkeykey's largest city. Its industry and commerce make a major contribution to the wealth and security of this progressive nation. Turkish mosques, ancient Roman walls, and modern offices stand side by side here because for thousands of years, men have recognized the importance of this site. The Bosphorus is the seaw route to the interior of modern Russia. By straddling the Bosphorus, Turkey controls the Soviet Union's outlet from the Black Sea and her most convenient access to the trade routes of the Mediterranean and the world's oceans. The Atlantic gateway is the straight of Gibralar called the pillars of Hercules by ancient mariners. From the European shores, one may see the mountains of North Africa. This narrow entrance is dominated by the rock of Gibralar. The soldiers of Carthage crossed here from Africa to occupy Spain and attack ancient Rome. The Muslim Arabs crossed in the 8th century to invade Spain and France. Their Moorish castle still stands. Later, Gibralar became Spanish and about 250 years ago, the British established a heavily fortified military base here. It has now been developed into a modern air and naval base protecting Britain's vital trade routes to the east. This narrow waterway is the only direct sea passage between Mediterranean nations and the Atlantic trade routes. The third gateway is the Suez Canal. At one time, shipping between Atlantic ports and the Orient had to go around Africa. The Suez Canal shortened the route by about 5,000 m. The canal was dug by French interests about a century ago, but is now owned by Egypt. Stretching for 100 miles through a barren desert, this crucial waterway is used by about 50 ships a day. The flags of many nations are seen in a canal convoy. Southbound ships may carry railway material for India, fertilizer for the Far East, or military supplies for Hong Kong. Northbound may be passengers from Australia, textiles from the Orient, or most important of all, oil from the Persian Gulf. The highly advanced industrial nations in Western Europe depend on this valuable shortcut to carry their essential supplies of oil for fuel and power. With the straight of Gibralar, the Suez Canal is a critical link in Europe's vital route to the resources of Asia. The Suez Canal is probably the most influential change man has ever made in nature. Today, the Mediterranean world is one of turmoil and change. The old Christian and Muslim differences were irritated further by the extensive European efforts toward colonizing and commercial influence within the past century. Today, the Soviet seeks an outlet to the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. But her route cannot be secure without control of the three vital gateways. To secure these points and further her own aims for world domination, the Soviet is attempting to extend her influence in the Mediterranean. There's also been a rise of nationalism in the Arab world. Egypt is developing a modern military force and its control of the vital Suez Canal is an important key to Mediterranean power. Turkey strengthening its armed forces to defend the Bosphorus is aided by a strong alliance of Western powers. Italian warships at Genova, United States destroyers at Naples or a French fleet in the Boserus show that the conflicting interests of many nations have made this sea an armed frontier where great changes are inevitable. The Mediterranean world is both the boundary and the connecting link between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The blending of many races, religions, and cultures has often brought friction, but it has also brought great achievement. In Egypt, civilization made its first advances and established a foundation for many succeeding cultures. Minnow and architects added to our present society, as did traders and explorers of Phoenicia. artists and philosophers of Greece, builders and lawmakers of Rome, and mathematicians and astronomers of the Muslim Arab world. Here are the cosbas of North Africa, the castles of the Middle Ages, and the monuments of the Renaissance. Here some farmers till rocky hillsides, while others cultivate rich, productive lands. Here are lonely desert oases and here are great cities and seapports and bordering all is the Mediterranean Sea. It was the means of contact and growth for ancient cultures. It remains the highway for commerce and an area of conflict for our present civilization. The beginnings of our modern way of life and perhaps many of the forces controlling our future lie here in the Mediterranean world.